Warm Pear Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan Cheese

Warm Pear Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan CheeseRecipe by Dragon

You are going to LOVE this salad. Sweet, salty, crunchy and just about perfect. Who says winter salads can't be good? Not me. Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3 inch slices
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
Cracked black pepper
Pinch of salt
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Parmesan cheese, shaved to garnish
8 cups mesclun greens, washed and dry

Directions:
1. Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Toss the pears slices in the sugar and add to melted butter.

3. Sauté pears until they are slightly caramelized but still firm. Add 3 turns of cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Remove the pears from the pan and keep warm.

4. Add walnuts to the pan and toss in the remaining butter to coat and warm through.

5. Toss the greens in enough vinaigrette to coat them. Divide the greens among the plates. Top with the pear slices and walnuts.

6. Shave some Parmesan cheese on top of the salad to garnish.


I'm sending this recipe over to Culinarty for her monthly Original Recipe roundup.

24 comments:

Sara said...

This looks great, I love pears in salad. I've been making salads with a walnut oil vinaigrette lately.

Deeba PAB said...

You bet I'm gonna love this Paula...WOW!! I love pear & I love walnuts...YUM!!

Peter M said...

If I had pears, I'd make this today...awesomeness!

Lo said...

Mmm. I love pears in a nice salad. But, it's the "warm" in this that really has me intrigued.

... just as soon as I can find a nice ripe pear...

Deborah said...

I LOVE winter salads, and this one sounds like perfection!

Doo Dah said...

Hey Dragon Girl!
Hope that your email picked up on the deleted comment - that was me under my real name and didnt want it publicized. Pls come over to my blog and email me.....doodah

Vijitha said...

I love pear and walnut.. so I am sure i will love this. nice click n good one!

Vera said...

There's no doubts about its perfection!

Vera said...

Very Happy New Year!

Nic said...

Great winter salad!
Happy New Year Dragon!

Arundathi said...

a very happy new year to you!

Patsyk said...

Now that's my kind of salad right now. Great combination of flavor and texture! Yum!!!

Anonymous said...

Loooove this combination! Gorgeous.

I would normally put blue or ricotta cheese with pears, but parmesan sounds delicious!

Dragon slam dunks again! ;)

Maria said...

I adore pear salads. Great flavors going on here!

Malar Gandhi said...

Lovears anyways...with nuts and stuff, sounds yummy to me...very inviting salad...happy new year!

test it comm said...

Looks good! I like using fruits like pears in salads.

Lore said...

You know I dreamt about a similar salad just the other night? What were the chances for that? Eery but delicious lol :)
Thanks for sharing it with the Original Recipes Round-Up!

Olga said...

This looks fantastic!
I bet it'd be great w/blue cheese too.

Susan said...

Yes, I am going to love this salad!
Fruit and nut style is one of my favorites.

Dragon said...

sara: Walnut oil would be great in this!

passionate: Thanks!

peter: I hope you try this soon.


lo: I love salads that have a warm component to them.

deborah: Perfection in deed.

doo dah: Send me an email at mydragonskitchen@gmail.com. :)

vij: Thanks!

vera: Thank you, my friend. Happy New Year to you too.

nicisme: Happy New Year to you too.

Arundathi: Happy New Year. Thanks!

patsyk: Thanks!

Christie: Blue cheese would be great with this too. :)

Maria: Thanks!

Malar: Happy New year!

Kevin: Thanks!

Lore: This salad is calling your name.

Olga: Both options would work great here. :)

Susan: Thanks!

Jeanne said...

Oooh, I love this combo of flavours!! Thanks for the inspiration :)

Megan said...

I just can't eat that bagged salad with a store bought dressing, so I'm always happy to see a "real salad". And I have to have a fruit and nut in my salad and this has all my requirements for a delightfully delicious salad. This will be on the menu!!!

petra carter said...

Instead of Parmesan, scatter with some crumbled blue Roquefort cheese - the salty cheese perfectly complements the sweet pears and bitter leaves... Yum!

Kendall said...

So delicious, thank you for sharing - I added in some mushrooms and it went perfectly!
xo K
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